Home-based approaches for subacute low back pain in AD: Randomized control trial
Abstract
Low back pain is on the increase in the military, and poses a threat to warfighter performance and operational readiness. The number of ambulatory care visits of low back pain, LBP, has shown a striking increase of >62% over the last 5 years in all military services, affecting work performance, limiting activity, and impacting military deployment health. This increase reflects current high operation tempo and frequent deployments of military including demanding training, military operations, and combat injuries. Approximately 80% of acute LBP events will improve within 2-4 weeks, however, a substantial number progress to the persistent, chronic state, LBP >12 weeks, which is resistant to treatment and interferes with military performance. Currently, no evidence-based treatment guidelines exist for the management of subacute LBP, 3-12 weeks. Treatments for LBP during the subacute period need further investigation. We have shown that home-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation, NMES, is safe, portable, easy-to-use and improves muscle strength with some pain relief. Evidence suggests that progressive exercise improves patient outcomes in subacute LBP. The use of pain-relieving modalities via primary care management, PCM, combined with muscle strengthening, such as home-based electrotherapy or progressive exercise plan, PEP, could reduce pain, increase strength and improve function more rapidly during the subacute phase of persistent LBP. The proposed study therefore will compare the effects of both NMES and PEP to the standard PCM for service members with subacute LBP.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 18, 2018
- Source ID
- HU0001171TS05
Entities
People
- Laura Talbot
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center